


Tangled

by sleepismyfriend



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-04
Updated: 2012-10-04
Packaged: 2017-11-15 14:37:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/528363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepismyfriend/pseuds/sleepismyfriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before his debate with Governor Ritchie, the President walks up on a bit of a mess with two of his senior staff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tangled

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dallas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dallas/gifts).



> Prompt was CJ and Toby, all tangled up.

"Wait, you need to go that way."

"I see that, but you're going to have to move your foot."

"My foot will never go that way, Tobus. Nice try." They landed in San Diego hours ago, and it seems this is the first chance where the President hasn't had to decide something. He hears his staff's continued bickering back and forth as he comes around the corner.

"CJ, we're—" Toby stops when the President casually enters the main room, his hands in his pockets. "Mr. President, this isn't what it looks like." 

"Really? Because I think this is exactly what it looks like." His head motions to the seemingly endless amounts of cord wrapped around two of his senior staff. "Mind explaining what the hell you two are doing wrapped around one another?"

"It's the sound cords, sir," CJ replies. She then sighs. "There was this whole kerfuffle involving your mic cables, and the sound board—" 

"And you were just trying to be helpful, Claudia Jean?" The President approaches.

"Yes, sir. I was already a mess when Tobus got involved."

"Well, why don't I just help you both out? I like a good puzzle. Provided Abbey doesn't show up and find all the corner pieces first." He scans the cords along CJ's back. "Have we found an end?"

"Down by my left foot, sir. It seems to be knotted several thousand times," Toby says, trying not to roll his eyes at the picture anyone that walks up would imagine. The leader of the free world trying to undo a simple accident. Thank goodness all the reporters were already preoccupied elsewhere.

"Hey, has anyone seen Donna?" Josh strolls in, only to see the President, CJ, and Toby's eyes on him. "What—happened—here?"

"Don't ask," CJ says.

"Wasn't going to," Josh says. 

"Josh, would you grab my end and pull it through CJ's legs? I mean, no offense Claudia Jean, but I would much prefer someone else perform such an act."

"No offense, Mr. President," CJ says.

"Here, I'll put it through her legs, Josh, you grab it, alright?" Toby asks, trying to bend to get the end of the sound cord through CJ's legs as Josh approaches and grabs the cord. 

"Now, it's knotted around her ankles," the President says, bending to watch Josh try and unknot the cord. Once he does, CJ has an ankle free.

"Oh thank god," CJ says, taking a side step with her now free ankle. She pats Josh's shoulder. "Good job, boo boo."

"Thanks," Josh says. 

"Anyone going to free anything of mine anytime soon? I'm getting leg cramps here," Toby says, his impatience obviously becoming impatient. "I am so glad Sam is not here to see this."

"Where is Sam?" The President wants to know, as Josh continues unwinding cord. 

"Orange County," Toby says.

"He's taking a vacation at a time like this?" The President asks.

"No, sir, he's making an official visit," Toby replies.

"When was I going to find out about this?" CJ asks.

"CJ," Josh says. "I need you to balance on something. Or else you're going to well, fall on me when I try to undo this next part of cable. I don't like being squished."

"I shall call you Squishy, and you shall be mine and be my Squishy forever." At her obvious reference, CJ's evil smile appears as the President takes a step back. She braces herself on Toby's shoulders with his hands at her sides as a cord tightens around her leg. "Ow, Squishy, that wasn't supposed to hurt."

"I went the wrong way." Josh's voice lowers. "My bad. Going the other way now."

"Wait till I get out of this," Toby sneers. 

"There is over 500 IQ points combined in this room, and we can't get two able bodied people out of a set of cables? Where's a child when you need one?"

"A child, sir?" CJ asks.

"Yes, CJ, a person under the age of 10 with tiny hands who has better dexterity than all of us combined. It's like when I want an aspirin and Abbey's got a childproof seal on the top. I give the bottle to my darling Annie, and in one-point-five seconds, I'm throwing back two aspirin and some water for a headache."

"Good to know," Toby says, looking to CJ. "Your leg alright?"

"I think so." She taps his shoulders with her thumbs, not realizing the motion until she feels the President's eyes on her and turns to face him. "We're really sorry, Mr. President."

"Next time you want to help out, Claudia Jean, would you do us all a favor and find someone who knows about these things to untangle the cables?" 

"Yes, sir," CJ says.

"Almost there," Josh says, gritting his teeth. "You know, we could classify sound cord as a weapon of mass destruction. All we'd have to do is assume our enemies are as dumb as CJ. Ow."

CJ had smacked the side of his head rather hard. 

"Bad Squishy," CJ says.

"No more animated films for you," Toby says, and as her eyebrows rise, he continues. "Seriously. If you can't play nicely with the other children—"

"There are times in the world I am glad the American people do not follow me around with a video camera." The President bends to help Josh as the cord switches hands in Toby's direction. "Think we can take this up and over?"

"Possibly," Josh says, straightening at the same time as the President lifts the cable up and over Toby. 

"Now we're getting somewhere," the President says. "Speaking of which, I hope Charlie hasn't forgotten my lucky tie."

"You mean my tie?" Josh asks, to which the President glares at him. "Oh, right, your lucky tie. Forgot that part."

"That tie won me the final debate of a long and difficult campaign," the President says as CJ and Toby feel the cables loosening around them. "The least you can do is acknowledge that the tie is rightfully mine."

"My mistake," Josh sighs.

Toby takes the cords from Josh and shifts to try and take the cable another direction. He steps out of the pile of cables and offers his hand to CJ as Josh pulls the cables down for her step out of.

"Have we had enough fun for one afternoon?" The President smiles, noticing the look CJ and Toby share. "Alright, break's over. What's next?"


End file.
